The numbers don’t lie, more females are participating in shooting sports than ever before. From 2006 to 2015, there has been a 57% increase in the number of women and girls engaged in the sport. Now, the ladies are representing 26% of all target shooters, as of 2015.

Talk about girl power!

Here’s a list of amazing young women blazing the trail.

Cheyenne Dalton

Starting her career off in 2013, Cheyenne has quickly become one of competitive shooting’s fiercest competitors. She started off by shooting rimfire challenge and USPSA in 2014, then moved to the 3-Gun arena in 2015.

Cheyenne has won numerous state rimfire titles, and is a two-time Rimfire World Champion in the Limited Lady category, winning in 2014 and 2016. Outside of shooting, the 16-year-old Missourian loves the outdoors, where she likes to hunt and fish. Her skills don’t stop at shooting – she’s a bluegrass musician in her band, That Dalton Gang, where she plays violin, mandolin, guitar and upright bass.

This lethal lady is better known by her nickname, “3-Gun Maddie”. With her signature green guns, gear, and jersey, this is one 14-year-old you don’t want to mess with.

As you probably guessed by her name, Maddie is a 3-Gun shooter from Wisconsin. She started shooting competitively at age 10, accompanying her dad to Steel Challenge and USPSA matches before discovering 3-Gun.

In addition to knocking out the competition, Maddie is active in 4-H Shooting Sports and her local gun club’s NRA-sponsored Junior Rifle Club Marksmanship Program.

She loves more traditional sports as well and plays volleyball and soccer.

She loves riding horses and mentors younger students in her spare time.

What a gal!

Kyleigh Hayworth

Let’s hear a cheer for this Round Rock, Texas native!

This 15-year-old started shooting when she was only 8! Her Navy veteran dad taught her how to shoot with a Browning Buckmark .22LR pistol.

But he didn’t stop there; he was also her inspiration to start shooting competitively. After seeing her dad competed in IDPA matches, and other kids compete in the sport, Kyleigh decided it was her turn.

A few years later, and shehas graduated from her SIG Sauer Mosquito to a series of centerfire firearms, competing in Steel Challenge, Falling Steel, 3-Gun and IDPA tournaments.

When she’s not competing, she enjoys hunting deer and turkey with her family.

A girl after my own heart!

Ashlynne Thomas

Don’t let this cutie fool you, she knows what she’s doing!

At only 11, Ashlynne is one of the youngest stars on this list. She got into shooting when her awesome parents gave her a Remington 597 for Christmas two years ago.

Six months ago, she decided she wanted to take shooting to the next level; so she started competing.

A transplant from Santa Barbara, California, to Pflugerville, Texas, Ash credits Sure Shots in Austin with inspiring her to shoot in competitions. While she said she has a long way to go, she loves the joy of competing and looks forward to what the future holds as she continues to improve in 2- and 3-gun, steel and carbine competitions.

Katelyn Francis

We have another girl on this list with a nickname!

Seventeen-year-old “3 Gun Katie” likes to describe herself as “just a girl with a gun”. But let us tell you, that’s way too modest of her.

Katie is a veteran of 3-Gun shooting, having even been profiled by NRA’s America’s 1st Freedom. She first shot a gun – a Ruger .22LR single-action revolver – at age 5, and entered her first 3-Gun match in Kentucky before she was even a teenager. Katie said that in addition to travelling, meeting new friends and keeping her active in the outdoors, competitive shooting has taught her to respect firearms and handle them safely, and made her a more responsible teenager at both home and school.

Sydney Rockwell

Knoxville, get ready to be proud! Sydney, 16, is one of their brightest stars.

She started competing in IDPA and Steel Challenge matches in 2014. Then, less than a year later, she moved into the 3-Gun competition.

Like most of the young ladies on this list, Sydney started shooting with her dad when she was young. Nine-years-old to be exact. When she was ten, she completed a hunter safety education course.

After taking a hunting trip with her uncle (and bagging her first buck!) she was hooked. And the foundation for competitive shooting was set. She picked up a pistol at 13 and never looked back.

Beth Walker

Beth Walker’s love for competitive shooting began when she discovered Katie Francis’ early videos and was inspired by her shooting. During a trip to the 2014 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits, she met representatives from the firearms and gear industry, who introduced her to TacTissy, her biggest role model. Now 15, the Indiana native has been shooting competitively in 3-Gun matches since August of 2016. She’s not only passionate about shooting, but advocating for our Second Amendment rights that allow us to enjoy the sports we love.

Faith & Jenna Collier

The Collier Gun Girls, Faith, 11, and Jenna, 9, are a tandem of sisters from Austin, Texas. The duo first visited the shooting range in December of 2014, when they asked their dad Anthony to take them. When Anthony, who had shot competitively before and wanted to get back into the sport, asked if the girls wanted to try it, Faith was first to jump at the chance. Once she came home and raved about how much fun it was, Jenna jumped on board, too. Faith shot in her first competition in March of 2016, and younger sister Jenna followed her lead two months later in May. Notably, the sisters upgrade and work on all of their firearms themselves, using a little help from dad to help them understand how the guns work and how to overcome malfunctions.

Addysson Soltau

Addysson “Alpha Addy” Soltau joins the Colliers as part of the Sure Shots team in Austin, Texas. The subject of a recent popular NRA Blog feature, eight-year-old Addy picked up shooting when she just six years old. Inspired by female competitive shooters she watched on NRA Women and YouTube, Addy wanted to join in the action. She contacted the Collier girls, who lived nearby, to ask if she could join them at a match, and was instantly hooked. Now shooting Rimfire Pistol Iron Sight, Texas Steel Competition .22 and Big Bore matches, she looks forward to working her way into 2- and 3-Gun. When she’s not shooting or training, Addy is scoring high grades in school, earning accolades in karate, and setting a good example for her little sister.

Any or all of these fine ladies are great role models for any girl. So get the word out!